History SeinfeldIsUnfunny / NewspaperComics

* Averted with some of the oldest comic strips, which remain impressive and even jaw-dropping after nearly a century (or sometimes even longer) has passed. The stories and their themes are still pretty quirky, and the artwork is often surprisingly good, even excellent. This is partly because the earliest comic strips were regarded as nothing more than a cheap publicity gimmick, so high standards weren't expected of them; this gave the early cartoonists a lot of room for experimentation. ** Still some comic strips from the 19th century and early 1900s and 1910s rely a lot on slow paced {{Slapstick}} and [[RunningGag running gags]] that are quite low-brow for someone in search of anything more meaningful. Not to mention a lot of stereotypes about women and ethnic minorities that nowadays come across as horribly offensive. * Before ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'', suburban humor was practically unheard of (in the 1930s however, suburbs were still in their infancy).* ''ComicStrip/{{BC}}'': When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronisms was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'': Many subsequent comic strips have imitated its dry wit. Indirectly if not directly, it had more influence on [[WebComics web comics]] than anything other than {{manga}}.** ''Doonesbury'' was the first newspaper comic to regularly have two punchlines in the last panel: a primary joke, and a secondary one which built off the first. It was special at the time. Now almost every comic does it, making those old strips seem run-of-the-mill instead of groundbreaking.** In 1985 (after Trudeau returned from a sabbatical), the strip took a DarkerAndEdgier turn. One decade later, many strips centering on (or simply made by) "boomers" underwent CerebusSyndrome, like ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' (and its sequels, ''Outlands'' and ''Opus''), ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' and even ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' late in the strip's life. Didn't help that most "boomers"' lives [[TruthInTelevision had turned quite sour by then]].* ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' averts this with its [[NightmareFace still-shocking human grotesquerie]], [[SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism callous and even misanthropic view toward the characters]], and - perhaps most obviously - its willingness to depict bloodshed at a time (1930s-'40s) when gore was otherwise nonexistent in the funnies. To be sure, ''Dick Tracy'' probably wouldn't be banned if those earliest strips were run today, but they would almost certainly inspire some tut-tutting from many parents and older people.* Because geeky webcomics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''s relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 1990s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' by Gary Larson. The comic strip's format has been imitated so much and so badly over the years that it's kind of hard to appreciate his originals and just how groundbreaking they were. ** And controversial as well. The BlackComedy in it that seems extremely tame today? That was ''extremely'' uncommon in newspaper comics at the time, and got a lot of bad reactions from the MoralGuardians.** The humor doesn't even seem as surreal anymore as it was at the time but only because so many humorists were inspired by it and have taken the weirdness still further.* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}''. Yes, believe it or not, some of the style of the strip was considered risky at the time, and the published books of the series were some of the first to utilize the 'mini-sized' formats that many newspaper comic collections use today. Oh yeah, and quite a few of the strips in the early years were actually ''controversial'' and Jim Davis received many [[MoralGuardian complaints]] for one of the gags he pulled. ("[[MyEyesAreUpHere Shake it]], [[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub Annette]]," for instance.) A lot of younger people would think you were joking if you told them this fact.* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'': While it's still considered one of the best comic strips ever, the many creator-driven strips done since then (''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'', ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'', ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'', ''ComicStrip/{{Lio}}'', ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' and ''Red and Rover'') has made it look rather passé nowadays.** Subverted. Its [[ReferenceOverdosed incredibly]] [[LampshadeHanging large]] [[ShoutOut amount]] [[TakeThat of]] [[ParentalBonus references]] didn't have much effect on the funny pages, but most popular TV and film comedies nowadays are full of these.* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', too. When it first appeared in newspapers in 1985, it was rare both in comic strips and in popular fiction generally for parents to be portrayed as anything more than slightly exasperated at the antics of their children. Many readers wrote in to complain that Calvin's parents' attitudes toward their son made them mean, perhaps even [[AbusiveParents abusive]]. Ten years later, creator Bill Watterson could remark with some satisfaction that TV sitcoms with smart-mouthed kids and sarcastic parents had become the norm - and Calvin's parents now looked tolerant and even loving. * ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', not just in NewspaperComics, but in a wide variety of media, especially live-action TV. Someone unfamiliar with the comics, but a fan of ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' or ''Film/OfficeSpace'', might find the similarities close enough to cry plagiarism.* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (it doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]]). Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the TV show premiered.* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' was innovative in two ways: Because of the limited space, Charles Schulz had to rely on an ultra-simplistic art style with exaggerated facial expressions. He even developed an emotional shorthand, most famously the "eye parentheses" representing shock. A few decades later, newspapers would run so many comic strips that pretty much every cartoonist had to make his illustrations understandable in the few square inches he received. The second innovation was that ''Peanuts'' was one of the darker portrayals of childhood at the time: All of the children in the series were dysfunctional to some degree and fought frequently among themselves. Comics like ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' were the main competition during the series' early years, making ''Peanuts'' something of a ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of its time.** ''Peanuts'' was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''Calvin and Hobbes'', ''Simpsons'' or ''South Park'', among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schulz was, one has to wonder whether he would consider anything approaching that a good thing, though.)* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person, too. But back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut in which they found themselves.** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime. Most comics even today, simply put, do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or for Worse'' really stand out.* ''ComicStrip/{{Cathy}}''. The fact that she was a single ''working'' female protagonist was groundbreaking in the 1970s. Nowadays, the characters seem quite typical.

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* Averted with some of the oldest comic strips, which remain impressive and even jaw-dropping after nearly a century (or sometimes even longer) has passed. The stories and their themes are still pretty quirky, and the artwork is often surprisingly good, even excellent. This is partly because the earliest comic strips were regarded as nothing more than a cheap publicity gimmick, so high standards weren't expected of them; this gave the early cartoonists a lot of room for experimentation. ** Still some comic strips from the 19th century and early 1900s and 1910s rely a lot on slow paced {{Slapstick}} and [[RunningGag running gags]] that are quite low-brow for someone in search of anything more meaningful. Not to mention a lot of stereotypes about women and ethnic minorities that nowadays come across as horribly offensive. * Before ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'', suburban humor was practically unheard of (in the 1930s however, suburbs were still in their infancy).* ''ComicStrip/{{BC}}'': When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronisms was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'': Many subsequent comic strips have imitated its dry wit. Indirectly if not directly, it had more influence on [[WebComics web comics]] than anything other than {{manga}}.** ''Doonesbury'' was the first newspaper comic to regularly have two punchlines in the last panel: a primary joke, and a secondary one which built off the first. It was special at the time. Now almost every comic does it, making those old strips seem run-of-the-mill instead of groundbreaking.** In 1985 (after Trudeau returned from a sabbatical), the strip took a DarkerAndEdgier turn. One decade later, many strips centering on (or simply made by) "boomers" underwent CerebusSyndrome, like ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' (and its sequels, ''Outlands'' and ''Opus''), ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' and even ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' late in the strip's life. Didn't help that most "boomers"' lives [[TruthInTelevision had turned quite sour by then]].* ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' averts this with its [[NightmareFace still-shocking human grotesquerie]], [[SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism callous and even misanthropic view toward the characters]], and - perhaps most obviously - its willingness to depict bloodshed at a time (1930s-'40s) when gore was otherwise nonexistent in the funnies. To be sure, ''Dick Tracy'' probably wouldn't be banned if those earliest strips were run today, but they would almost certainly inspire some tut-tutting from many parents and older people.* Because geeky webcomics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''s relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 1990s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' by Gary Larson. The comic strip's format has been imitated so much and so badly over the years that it's kind of hard to appreciate his originals and just how groundbreaking they were. ** And controversial as well. The BlackComedy in it that seems extremely tame today? That was ''extremely'' uncommon in newspaper comics at the time, and got a lot of bad reactions from the MoralGuardians.** The humor doesn't even seem as surreal anymore as it was at the time but only because so many humorists were inspired by it and have taken the weirdness still further.* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}''. Yes, believe it or not, some of the style of the strip was considered risky at the time, and the published books of the series were some of the first to utilize the 'mini-sized' formats that many newspaper comic collections use today. Oh yeah, and quite a few of the strips in the early years were actually ''controversial'' and Jim Davis received many [[MoralGuardian complaints]] for one of the gags he pulled. ("[[MyEyesAreUpHere Shake it]], [[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub Annette]]," for instance.) A lot of younger people would think you were joking if you told them this fact.* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'': While it's still considered one of the best comic strips ever, the many creator-driven strips done since then (''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'', ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'', ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'', ''ComicStrip/{{Lio}}'', ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' and ''Red and Rover'') has made it look rather passé nowadays.** Subverted. Its [[ReferenceOverdosed incredibly]] [[LampshadeHanging large]] [[ShoutOut amount]] [[TakeThat of]] [[ParentalBonus references]] didn't have much effect on the funny pages, but most popular TV and film comedies nowadays are full of these.* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', too. When it first appeared in newspapers in 1985, it was rare both in comic strips and in popular fiction generally for parents to be portrayed as anything more than slightly exasperated at the antics of their children. Many readers wrote in to complain that Calvin's parents' attitudes toward their son made them mean, perhaps even [[AbusiveParents abusive]]. Ten years later, creator Bill Watterson could remark with some satisfaction that TV sitcoms with smart-mouthed kids and sarcastic parents had become the norm - and Calvin's parents now looked tolerant and even loving. * ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', not just in NewspaperComics, but in a wide variety of media, especially live-action TV. Someone unfamiliar with the comics, but a fan of ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' or ''Film/OfficeSpace'', might find the similarities close enough to cry plagiarism.* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (it doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]]). Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the TV show premiered.* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' was innovative in two ways: Because of the limited space, Charles Schulz had to rely on an ultra-simplistic art style with exaggerated facial expressions. He even developed an emotional shorthand, most famously the "eye parentheses" representing shock. A few decades later, newspapers would run so many comic strips that pretty much every cartoonist had to make his illustrations understandable in the few square inches he received. The second innovation was that ''Peanuts'' was one of the darker portrayals of childhood at the time: All of the children in the series were dysfunctional to some degree and fought frequently among themselves. Comics like ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' were the main competition during the series' early years, making ''Peanuts'' something of a ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of its time.** ''Peanuts'' was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''Calvin and Hobbes'', ''Simpsons'' or ''South Park'', among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schulz was, one has to wonder whether he would consider anything approaching that a good thing, though.)* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person, too. But back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut in which they found themselves.** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime. Most comics even today, simply put, do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or for Worse'' really stand out.* ''ComicStrip/{{Cathy}}''. The fact that she was a single ''working'' female protagonist was groundbreaking in the 1970s. Nowadays, the characters seem quite typical.[[redirect:SeinfeldIsUnfunny/ComicStrips]]

** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime. Most comics even today, simply put, do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or for Worse'' really stand out.

to:

** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime. Most comics even today, simply put, do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or for Worse'' really stand out.out.* ''ComicStrip/{{Cathy}}''. The fact that she was a single ''working'' female protagonist was groundbreaking in the 1970s. Nowadays, the characters seem quite typical.

* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (It doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]]. Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the TV show premiered.

to:

* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (It (it doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]].Cheryl]]). Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the TV show premiered.

** Still some comic strips from the 19th century and early 1900s and 1910s rely a lot on slow paced {{Slapstick}} and [[RunningGag running gags]] that are quite low-brow for someone in search of anything more meaningful. Not to mention a lot of stereotypes about women and racial and ethnical minorities that nowadays come across as horribly offensive. * Before ''{{Blondie}}'', suburban humor was practically unheard of (in the 1930s however, suburbs were still in their infancy).* ''{{ComicStrip/BC}}''. When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronisms was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.* ''{{ComicStrip/Doonesbury}}''. Many subsequent comic strips have imitated its dry wit. Indirectly if not directly, it had more influence on [[WebComics web comics]] than anything other than {{manga}}.

to:

** Still some comic strips from the 19th century and early 1900s and 1910s rely a lot on slow paced {{Slapstick}} and [[RunningGag running gags]] that are quite low-brow for someone in search of anything more meaningful. Not to mention a lot of stereotypes about women and racial and ethnical ethnic minorities that nowadays come across as horribly offensive. * Before ''{{Blondie}}'', ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}'', suburban humor was practically unheard of (in the 1930s however, suburbs were still in their infancy).* ''{{ComicStrip/BC}}''. ''ComicStrip/{{BC}}'': When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronisms was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.* ''{{ComicStrip/Doonesbury}}''. ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'': Many subsequent comic strips have imitated its dry wit. Indirectly if not directly, it had more influence on [[WebComics web comics]] than anything other than {{manga}}.

** In 1985 (after Trudeau returned from a sabbatical), the strip took a DarkerAndEdgier turn. One decade later, many strips centering around (or simply made by) "boomers" underwent CerebusSyndrome, like ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' (and its sequels, ''Outlands'' and ''Opus''), ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' and even ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' late in the strip's life. Didn't help most "boomers"' lives [[TruthInTelevision had turned quite sour by then]].

to:

** In 1985 (after Trudeau returned from a sabbatical), the strip took a DarkerAndEdgier turn. One decade later, many strips centering around on (or simply made by) "boomers" underwent CerebusSyndrome, like ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'', ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' (and its sequels, ''Outlands'' and ''Opus''), ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' and even ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' late in the strip's life. Didn't help that most "boomers"' lives [[TruthInTelevision had turned quite sour by then]].

* Because geeky web comics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''s relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 90s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.

to:

* Because geeky web comics webcomics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''s relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 90s 1990s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.

* ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}''. Yes, believe it or not, some of the style of the strip was considered risky at the time, and the published books of the series was some of the first to utilize the 'mini-sized' formats that many newspaper comic collections use today. Oh yeah, and quite a few of the strips in the early years were actually ''controversial'' and Jim Davis received many [[MoralGuardian complaints]] for one of the gags he pulled. ("[[MyEyesAreUpHere Shake it]], [[TheMickeyMouseClub Annette]]," for instance.) A lot of younger people would think you were joking if you told them this fact.* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'': While still considered one of the best comic strips ever, the many creator-driven strips done since then (''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'', ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'', ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'', ''ComicStrip/{{Lio}}'', ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' and ''Red And Rover'') has made it look rather passé nowadays.

to:

* ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}''. ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}''. Yes, believe it or not, some of the style of the strip was considered risky at the time, and the published books of the series was were some of the first to utilize the 'mini-sized' formats that many newspaper comic collections use today. Oh yeah, and quite a few of the strips in the early years were actually ''controversial'' and Jim Davis received many [[MoralGuardian complaints]] for one of the gags he pulled. ("[[MyEyesAreUpHere Shake it]], [[TheMickeyMouseClub [[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub Annette]]," for instance.) A lot of younger people would think you were joking if you told them this fact.* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'': While it's still considered one of the best comic strips ever, the many creator-driven strips done since then (''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'', ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'', ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'', ''ComicStrip/{{Lio}}'', ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' and ''Red And and Rover'') has made it look rather passé nowadays.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', not just in NewspaperComics, but in a wide variety of media, especially live-action TV. Someone unfamiliar with the comics, but a fan of ''TheOffice'' or ''OfficeSpace'' might find the similarities close enough to cry plagiarism.* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (It doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]]. Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the show premiered.* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' was innovative in two ways: Because of the limited space, Charles Schulz had to rely on an ultra-simplistic art style with exaggerated facial expressions. He even developed an emotional shorthand, most famously the "eye parentheses" representing shock. A few decades later, newspapers would run so many comic strips that pretty much everyone had to make their illustrations understandable in the few square inches they received. The second was that ''Peanuts'' was one of the darker portrayals of childhood at the time: All of the children in the series were dysfunctional to some degree and fought frequently among each other. Comics like ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' were the main competition during the series's early years, making ''Peanuts'' something of a ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of its time.** Peanuts was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Simpsons or South Park, among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schulz was, one has to wonder if he would consider that anything approaching a good thing, though.)* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person too but back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut they found themselves in.** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime - Most comics even today simply put do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or For Worse'' really stand out.

to:

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'', not just in NewspaperComics, but in a wide variety of media, especially live-action TV. Someone unfamiliar with the comics, but a fan of ''TheOffice'' ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' or ''OfficeSpace'' ''Film/OfficeSpace'', might find the similarities close enough to cry plagiarism.* Similarly, ''ComicStrip/AdamAtHome'' is usually considered to be a copycat of ''Series/AccordingToJim'' (It doesn't help that [[UglyGuyHotWife Adam and Laura look pretty much like Jim and Cheryl]]. Ironically, the strip had been exploiting this premise for over a decade by the time the TV show premiered.* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' was innovative in two ways: Because of the limited space, Charles Schulz had to rely on an ultra-simplistic art style with exaggerated facial expressions. He even developed an emotional shorthand, most famously the "eye parentheses" representing shock. A few decades later, newspapers would run so many comic strips that pretty much everyone every cartoonist had to make their his illustrations understandable in the few square inches they he received. The second innovation was that ''Peanuts'' was one of the darker portrayals of childhood at the time: All of the children in the series were dysfunctional to some degree and fought frequently among each other. themselves. Comics like ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'' were the main competition during the series's series' early years, making ''Peanuts'' something of a ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of its time.** Peanuts ''Peanuts'' was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Simpsons ''Calvin and Hobbes'', ''Simpsons'' or South Park, ''South Park'', among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schulz was, one has to wonder if whether he would consider that anything approaching that a good thing, though.)* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person too but person, too. But back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut in which they found themselves in.themselves.** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime - ComicBookTime. Most comics even today today, simply put put, do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or For for Worse'' really stand out.

* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person too but back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut they found themselves in.

to:

* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' might ''look'' like just another strip starring an angst-ridden mother who's overwhelmed by seemingly endless housework and cursed with an oaf husband and needy children who seem to live in fear of admitting that she's a person too but back in 1979, it was pretty much revolutionary to admit that yes, happy homemakers were anything but content with the rut they found themselves in.in.** In addition, it averted ComicBookTime - Most comics even today simply put do not do this. Along with ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'', this made ''For Better or For Worse'' really stand out.

* Because geeky web comics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''ss relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 90s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.

to:

* Because geeky web comics like ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' are omnipresent on the internet today, it's easy to forget how unique ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''ss ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'''s relatively frequent forays into geek and pop culture in the early 90s were, especially in comparison to what was in the funnies at the time — even before the strip hit ReverseCerebusSyndrome and turn the nerdy references UpToEleven, it still had a great deal of nerdiness for a "middle class suburban family" strip.

* ''{{ComicStrip/BC}}''. When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronism was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.

to:

** Still some comic strips from the 19th century and early 1900s and 1910s rely a lot on slow paced {{Slapstick}} and [[RunningGag running gags]] that are quite low-brow for someone in search of anything more meaningful. Not to mention a lot of stereotypes about women and racial and ethnical minorities that nowadays come across as horribly offensive. * ''{{ComicStrip/BC}}''. When it started in the late 1950s, its use of blatant anachronism anachronisms was fresh and original. Characters used modern slang and [[BambooTechnology Stone Age equivalents of modern technology]], and this was a source of much of the humor. Over the decades this approach became the fallback for comic strips set in the past, which hurt ''B.C.'''s reputation. The strip's legacy became even more obscured by TheEighties, at which point the cartoonist became a born-again Christian and began [[AuthorTract using the strip as a soapbox]] for his religious beliefs.

** Peanuts was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Simpsons or South Park, among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schultz was, one has to wonder if he would consider that anything approaching a good thing, though.)

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** Peanuts was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Simpsons or South Park, among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schultz Schulz was, one has to wonder if he would consider that anything approaching a good thing, though.)

**Peanuts was also a pioneer in the trope of children thinking and talking like adults. Without it, no ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', Simpsons or South Park, among many others. (Given how old fashioned Charles Schultz was, one has to wonder if he would consider that anything approaching a good thing, though.)

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